Understanding mental fatigue and its detection: a comparative analysis of assessments and tools

Abstract

Mental fatigue has shown to be one of the root causes of decreased productivity and overall cognitive performance, by decreasing an individual’s ability to inhibit responses, process information and concentrate. The effects of mental fatigue have led to occupational errors and motorway accidents. Early detection of mental fatigue can prevent the escalation of symptoms that may lead to chronic fatigue syndrome and other disorders. To date, in clinical settings, the assessment of mental fatigue and stress is done through self-reported questionnaires. The validity of these questionnaires is questionable, as they are highly subjective measurement tools and are not immune to response biases. This review examines the wider presence of mental fatigue in the general population and critically compares its various detection techniques (i.e., self-reporting questionnaires, heart rate variability, salivary cortisol levels, electroencephalogram, and saccadic eye movements). The ability of these detection tools to assess inhibition responses (which are sensitive enough to be manifested in a fatigue state) is specifically evaluated for a reliable marker in identifying mentally fatigued individuals. In laboratory settings, antisaccade tasks have been long used to assess inhibitory control and this technique can potentially serve as the most promising assessment tool to objectively detect mental fatigue. However, more studies need to be conducted in the future to validate and correlate this assessment with other existing measures of mental fatigue detection. This review is intended for, but not limited to, mental health professionals, digital health scientists, vision researchers, and behavioral scientists.

Mental fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome in clinical practice

“…В современном обществе люди на разных этапах своей жизни постоянно испытывают умственную нагрузку в повседневной деятельности [19]. Так, у работающих взрослых она начинается, когда люди просыпаются утром и проверяют свои телефоны на наличие новых сообщений или электронных писем.…”

“…Keywords: mental strain, chronic fatigue syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis, stress, cognitive load, cognitive impairment, therapeutic approaches, fonturacetam Practice человек становится умственно утомленным из-за длительных периодов бездействия или монотонной деятельности, такой как вождение автомобиля [19,24]. Из-за своего монотонного характера пассивное утомление вызывает сонливость и снижение внимания без типичных симптомов сонливости (например, зевоты) [17,22].…”

Individual Variability in Brain Connectivity Patterns and Driving-Fatigue Dynamics

“…In general, mental fatigue is a cognitive state resulting from prolonged mental activity, characterized by a decline in cognitive performance and increased feelings of tiredness and lack of energy. It has been shown to significantly impact various cognitive functions, including attention, working memory, and executive function [ 4 ].…”

Bioactive Compounds in Citrus reticulata Peel Are Potential Candidates for Alleviating Physical Fatigue through a Triad Approach of Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking, and Molecular Dynamics Modeling

“…This decrease is caused by alterations in the processes that control muscle action potentials [ 3 ]. Central fatigue (mental fatigue) refers to a decrease in an individual’s ability to perform cognitive tasks requiring focus and attentiveness [ 4 ]. Millions of individuals encounter fatigue and its associated disorders due to the escalating pace of life and social competition in contemporary society.…”